This is one of the more questionable elements found in Perceval de
Boulainvilliers' letter to the Duke of Milan (see footnote 137);
but since this letter has given us a precise date of birth and is
therefore considered important by historians, and since the business about
the roosters has become a picturesque part of the subject, I have
cited it here without
further comment. The full sentence reads: "The roosters,
as if heralds of a new joy, broke out in songs never before heard,
contrary to their custom; and beating their wings for nearly two hours
they seemed to predict the occurrence of a new thing." (for a transcription of the original language, see Quicherat's "Procès...", Vol V, p. 116.)